Pastor Alberto on "12 Homes, 12 Days"

A collection of thoughts from Pastor Alberto on the significance of the “12 Homes, 12 Days” project:

“For the past couple of years, we have been building one or sometimes two houses a month in Jasmín. But this month, we are building twelve! Some have said ‘We’re crazy!’ But what a wonderful thing -- twelve families will be sleeping in their new houses tonight. We did it!”

“I asked one of the mothers, ‘What is it like in your shack in the winter?’ She said, ‘When I go to bed at night, I sleep with an umbrella in my hand.’ Saturday morning, we were with all of the families, and we prayed with them and celebrated. Ruth, one of the homeowners, stood up and said, ‘Because of you, twelve families will have dry houses this year. God bless all of you and praise our Father in heaven!’”
















Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

“You know, there’s a young man in Jasmín who really doesn’t like me. And I don’t know why, but he is always saying bad things about me and about CCA. I’ve tried many times to develop a relationship with him, to break the barrier between us. I would talk to him, but he would have nothing to do with me.”

“However, yesterday, he came up to me, and he asked me, ‘Do you know who’s moving into the second house over there?’ And I said, ‘No, I really don’t. There are twelve houses, and I haven’t met all of the families.’ He said, ‘It’s my mother-in-law. And I want to apologize. I don’t even know you, and I’ve been saying bad things about you. I’ve never been to your church. But you are building a house for someone you don’t even know. And I know her, I’m her son-in-law, and I’ve done nothing. I was wrong, and I need to apologize to you. Forgive me.’”

The people dwelling in Darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2, Matthew 4:16

“Jasmín has been an example of the anti-kingdom . . . how much Satan can push down a people. So much sickness, poverty, suffering and darkness . . . and people who have lost their faith, lost their hope. It is a huge spiritual problem. Many people have probably been praying for them. But as the people of Jasmín see us building more and more houses for them, they are recovering their hope, they are recovering their faith, and we are pushing back the darkness. We are pushing back the darkness with hammers and a saw.”

“So we have to work, we have to get our hands dirty. There must be evidence that we are winning the battle. Every yellow house is something we can show . . . every man or woman in our Restoration Centers . . . every elderly man we pick up on the street. We are winning. Every time we take a child from Jasmín and give them a scholarship to CCA’s Christian School . . . we are winning.”

“Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit, and he would walk the streets and bring help to to people, undoing the works of Satan. He was doing spiritual warfare. Usually spiritual warfare is only surrounded by prayer, but that’s not changing the situation. Our mission is to keep on doing what Jesus did. I don’t think the church has any other mission. The way we do it is by undoing the works of the Enemy. Our war is not about destroying the Enemy, it’s not ours to do. On the Day of Judgment, God is going to do that. What we can destroy are his works.”

As the last of the gringos departed Jasmín on Saturday, a young boy named Eliazar came running to Larry and Carole asking, “Are you bringing another group of gringos tomorrow?” “Yes, Eliazar. We (E91 and CCA) are not going to leave this community. We are going to be here until the work is finished.”

Thank, you, gringos! God bless you! We love you! Larry and Carole




















More evidence of the victory -- Zaida and Christian graduated from the Restoration Centers on Sunday morning.













Victoria and Victor in their shack -- more to do.

"See"ing Jasmin

This is a blog update from several of this week's team members. We of course saw Jesús this morning and he was up to his normal antics -). We were communicating to him that Gary had wanted us to tell Jesús hello from him, and in typical Jesús-type humor, he pretended that he had NO idea what we were talking about because our Spanish is "so bad." We have learned to decipher his kidding, though, and as with so many of these kids we are getting to know them and they us. The personal connection we continue to build with them is most definitely a highlight of this trip and a true reward for coming to Costa Rica more than once!

This morning we started work at Jasmin earlier than the other days, and it was there that the Davis family performed a wondefully coordinated object-lesson for us about "SEE" -ing the things that God wants us to see, even if they are unpleasant, and especially when they are things we don't WANT to see. They encouraged us not to put the blinders back on once we return but to stay engaged in our minds, hearts, and actions.

There have of course been many situations we have "seen" which have been hard, hard for us emotionally to be sure. We have seen women struggling to carry water up steep hills; we have seen a man sitting by a trash heep who was trying to open a filled trash bag with his teeth; we have seen a little girl, five years old, who is deaf, and who is also handicapped, and still in diapers. Her mother, isolated and without resources, lovingly cares for her as well as an older man, unrelated to her, but who is unable to work because of injuries to his leg.

As we have realized all week, however, we cannot respond if we don't at first see, feel, and communicate the hope which we all need in Jesus. We see yellow houses on the hillside which as Pastor Alberto has said is a visible sign that we are fighting the enemy. We have even named these houses (partly to help us know what each other is referring to!): You may see pictures of what are affectionately known as "Niagra Falls" which we reach by crossing a drainage ditch,

Banana Tree, where there is, logically, a banana tree, and where Kevin, in throwing a shovel, hit the banana tree, and the shovel actually stayed lodged in the tree! Last but not least, there is "Eagle's Nest," which is very difficult to get to, steep, and narrow. Praise God though that through assembly lines we have managed to carry everything up so far but the panels and a few roof boards!

The steps leading to "Eagles Nest"

As many of you know, we have also seen Hector, someone Larry hired to work with us, come to Christ before our very eyes. And there have been times as well when we have seen someone struggling with something and have surrounded that person with prayer. God has blessed us by allowing to participate in small ways in the power of His redeeming love and healing. Our brothers and sisters in Christ in Costa Rica have also in numerous ways encouraged and challenged our own faith.

It is difficult to put into words some of the experiences we have had. It is difficult to summarize the highlights of one day, let alone one week. Bear with us as we come home but know we want to talk about so many of the moments we have yet to describe.

Thank you to all of you who read this and support us daily in prayer. We can FEEL it. There isn't much snow here, it isn't cold, and there aren't as many decorations as there are at home. Yet being here couldn't make for a better Christmas!

A view from Jesús continues

Jesús has been taking more pictures than can possibly be shared on this blog alone. There are improvements in his skills and he has even started experimenting with the video features on the camera.

On Monday, Jesús went with our team back to the Men's Restoration Centre. Last week, two of them men in the center advised Jesús not to take drugs, even if a pretty girl offered them. Jesús took this advice serious and said that he would never take drugs. On our return, one of the men who advised Jesús last week, told us that having given this advice to Jesús he now felt more motivated to complete the program. He shared with us that he felt that if he told Jesús not to take drugs, he had to follow that same advice. He told us he felt encouraged to finish, and stronger in himself to be able to see through what he started by coming to the Restoration Center. This gentleman is standing on the right in this picture, taken by Jesús.

Jesús has also taken many pictures in Jasmin. All of his friends and family live here. He has spent his life here, and his pictures are simple and show the world in which he has grown up. The following pictures show his world from his perspective. In many ways, it shows more easily life in Jasmin, than words can describe.

6 Houses Complete

The good news so far this week is that there are now 6 houses completed. If I remeber the numbers correctly, there are two houses with the floor ready to be laid. Two more houses are ready for the foundation to be put in. The final two houses have not been started.

One of the hardest things for the families we build houses for, is that before construction can begin, their old home has to be torn down. This also means that the family needs to find somewhere to go while the new house is being built. We have one family who really has no where to go once we tear down their old house. They will have no where to sit during the day, and no where to sleep at night. This family is one of the homes that has not been started. All of the other families had already torn down their old house and were staying with friends, or in a smaller room on their property.

Please pray for this family, that they find shelter during the days that we are putting up their new home. Pray that we would have the compassion and understanding that is needed for this family. Also pray for the safety of the team, that even as we hurry to build these houses, that our priority would be safety, not speed.

Work Is Progressing

Mariela, Maria and Vanessa help raise the first wall on their new home.

Work is progressing on the 12 houses/ 12 days project in Jasmin. One house was finished yesterday, 2 more will be finished or almost finished by the end of today. Work is very hard. We are having to carry everything up the hill---boards, panels, concrete bases, and for the most part we haven’t had volunteers other than our own team.


The rains returned but the work went on.











Yesterday Stephan, Kevin, and Tim (who are the “runners” who see that the right materials get to each work site at the right time), were a bit overwhelmed. Many boards were needed at a site up near the top of the hill. They prayed, telling God what they needed was a small army----turned around and there were 7-8 little boys carrying (no, running) boards up the hill!

The Proyecto Magdalena (Women’s Build) has had many workers and we hope to get that house roofed by the end of today. Some of the women from the Women’s Center will be helping us today.

We had lunches with the men and the women at the Centers yesterday and everyone enjoyed it very much. It’s so good to share a meal and socialize with these very special friends

Women from the Center came out to help with the Women's Build.

Tour of CCA’s Ministries -- A View from Jesús.

On Monday morning, Jesús accompanied the team on our tour of some of CCA’s ministries -- the Men’s and Women’s Restoration Centers, the Home for Elderly Men, and the Children’s Feeding Centers.

One of the most powerful moments came when we asked the men at the Center, “What advice would you have for a young boy? What would you want to say to Jesús?” Here’s what they had to say:

“One of the saddest things, what hurts the most is seeing kids in places like Las Tablas. Living there, doing drugs -- ten and eleven-year olds. It’s so evil. Just like hell. That’s the only way to describe it. How old are you, Jesús?”

Jesús: “I’m twelve.”

“Say ‘No!’ Because you need to know how much you will suffer. It’s easy to get into it. I have ten years now trying to get out of there. I have only fifteen days of being here. For ten years, I was trying to get free of that. They are going to offer it to you as a wonderful thing. But it is a trick. Don’t ever try it. That’s my advice. As nice as it looks. Maybe some nice young girl will come to you, a very beautiful girl, and offer it to you. Don’t be deceived. It’s very tricky. That’s what happened to me. Turn around and walk the other way.”

Then Marco spoke. Marco’s been in the Center before. He almost finished the program but went back on the streets. He had actually helped build Jesús’ home (one of our Smart Model Yellow Houses), and he said, “I know Jesús. I’ve been up in Jasmín. And I worked by your side. You’ve grown. You’re the oldest of your brothers, aren’t you? You are a good boy. You have a wonderful mom. Your little brothers will follow your lead. Be a good example for them. I can see -- you are close to the Lord now. Stay there. Never take it even once. God bless you.”

Later, we asked Jesús about his impressions of the day. He said, “I felt very good about going with you in the van and being a part of it. What I liked most was the time when the people from the Men’s Center encouraged me. And it was also encouraging to see them there, trying to help themselves get out of drugs. And I wanted to cry when the young girl at the Women’s Center (15 years old) said she had lived in the streets, slept on cardboard . . . and how she had been abused. It was sad.”

We asked Jesús if he knew any people like those he met in the Centers? “Yes, there are some in Jasmín. I knew the father of the girls -- Vanessa, Maria and Mariela. He used to live in their house. Rosa (their mother) and Gerardo (their father) would both go off to work, and the three girls would stay in my house. Then one day I saw him when he was in the streets using drugs. And we saw him sleeping on cardboard in the streets. Yes, I guess I know someone like that.”

Is he fearful that someday he might fall into that trap? “No, absolutely not. I wouldn’t be in a situation like that . . . ever! No one has offered it to me yet. When I am walking the streets, there are people smoking, doing drugs. I don’t even like the smell. No, I won’t do that!”

Do you think that you are poor? He thought about it for a moment and then said, “Yes.” What do you think you can do to improve your situation? “Finish my studies. Study a profession, one I like. I can do it. I like to study. I get good grades. I didn’t have to go to school the last couple of weeks because my teacher said I had done well and I didn’t need to.” We encouraged Jesús to pursue the tutoring opportunities we’re providing. And if he’ll work hard and apply himself, there are scholarships available. But he needs to do his part.

Does it make him sad to see Vanessa, Maria and Mariela in a house like they have? “Yes, sure. When my mom would go away, I used to go and stay at their house. And water would come in -- the house would be full of water. When the rain would start, their mom and everyone would start putting buckets in different places where the rain was coming in.” What a childhood memory.

Good News!

Monday morning, December 8, from Costa Rica

“Fear not! Behold I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people”

Let me share with you some good news----Rosita was in worship service yesterday, looking wonderful! She seems to be feeling well and looks radiant! She has moved back to her own home and her daughter Rachel, who we also saw yesterday, is with her. Behold! Good news! Rejoice in God’s miracles!

And another---Lizbeth is out of the hospital and back in her home! She has gained 10 pounds, seems to have a positive outlook and is motivated to get better. She looks wonderful, and happy. Behold! Good news! Rejoice, give thanks, and sing!

Our team has all arrived safely and we spent some time in Jasmin yesterday, some putting in foundations and others meeting people and playing with kids. Today we’ll visit the men’s and women’s centers, the feeding center, and the elderly center. We’ll hear many sad stories, but we’ll also hear good news. People are recovering from addiction and are becoming Christians. Behold! Good news for all people!

The good news of Christ is all around us. Behold!

Carole

The Countdown is On

In two days, a team of around 25 people will be getting on planes and flying to San Jose, Costa Rica in order to start the 12 Houses in 12 Days project in Jasmin.

Larry & Carole headed out earlier this week and sent this report:

We have some sun this morning for the first time in several days. It has been raining off and on each day, and so working conditions in Jasmin mean one thing -- mud and lots of it. But the rain serves to show us the real desperation of the families living here.

The 2 December teams have raised over $130,000 of support for this project! The project is 100% funded!

Included in the $130,000 is $63,500 of cash donations toward the ministries of E91/CCA. This includes $40,000 for house construction (12 houses) and $23,500 for education/medical assistance for the children moving into those houses.

This is a message worth rejoicing about in these tough economic times -- we can have hope. Because we have a God who wants to transform the world. And that is good news!

Through the Eyes of Jesús

“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 18:3

Have you ever wondered if children have something to say about poverty? Have you ever wondered if they might have something to say about the injustices of the world? What would change in our perceptions of poverty and our judgments about the poor if we viewed them through the eyes of children?

Located on a steep hillside named Jasmín, in homes of cardboard, tin, fragments of cement, and wood, subject to seasonal mudslides, hundreds of children simply exist. One of these is a 12-year old boy named Jesús. In his world, sickness, hunger, lack of education and many social problems dominate.

God is actively working to redeem this community and the families who live there! Doors have been opened, allowing us to build a small, very basic yellow house with a wood floor and a good roof. Already, houses have been constructed for 10% of these families. In December, we will undertake our most ambitious project ever – building 12 houses in 12 days – and provide scholarship opportunities and tutoring for children living in those houses!

Unbelievable changes are going to take place right in front of our eyes. Can you imagine watching these changes unfold through the eyes of children? What would it be like to experience the trials and triumphs as you walk in their shoes?

“Through the Eyes of Jesús” is a project giving you a front row seat as these changes unfold. Through the photographic eyes of Jesús, featured kids will become our gateway into their community – illuminating the life of their families, their neighbors, their churches and joining them on their real-life journeys. We will follow the lives of these courageous children through photos and videos as they tell their stories and participate in changing their community.

We have purchased a digital camera and have been training Jesús in the use of this camera. He possesses a good artistic sense for composition. By giving him additional skills and means of photography, we hope that he will be able to explore his surroundings and understand his relationship to it, and perhaps discover some technical and interpersonal skills that he can put to practical use some day.

Jesús is a unique young boy who easily connects with others. And he "gets things" most 12-year olds do not. The normal routines of daily life in a place like Jasmín give him insights that even most adults don't have. It will be interesting to see how God uses him, and what he has to say about poverty, his Gringo friends, and God's work in Jasmín -- as seen through his eyes, the eyes of Jesús.

Stay tuned!

Jesús lives with his mother Eli Rodriguez and two younger brothers, Isaac and Jordy. Note the mud floor in their “living room” and the plastic covering their one stuffed chair.

Mom and Isaac prepare an evening meal. Photos by Jesús, Nov. 14 2008.

News from Costa Rica

Yesterday, Pastor Alberto was talking with us about the change he and CCA went through when they realized they were only preaching the Gospel, but they were not been living it (Matthew 25: 31-46). “There wasn’t disagreement in the church – people wanted to live out the Gospel. But we didn’t have a culture of going out of ‘our world.’ We needed to acclimate to the new environment.”

“And we soon discovered that “living the Gospel” also required money. We couldn’t just hug our neighbor and tell them we’ll pray for you. They were hungry, they were thirsty, they were without clothes and shelter and family. This requires money. And so our priorities (as a church) had to change. We couldn’t put all our money into buildings and land and nice musical instruments.”

“What God has done is surround us with friends. Now, because of our friends, instead of a wheelbarrow, we have a pickup truck. It’s still our job to do, but we have friends to come along side us and give us a hand. Without them, it would be much harder and take a lot longer. But we now serve 16,000 meals a month in our various Centers! Think about that!”

“And I look at Ramon, the director of the Men’s Center, with his children, his family and think – this is a man who lived in the streets, in cardboard box, for 10 years! Now he has a degree in Psychology and serves in the Center!”

“And Alexis – 2 years ago was living in the streets, and on one of our ‘Days of Mercy’ in the central park of Alajuelita, we cut his hair, gave him food and drink and invited him to come with us to the Center. Today, he heads up our construction ministry --builds the classrooms at CCA’s school, designs the houses we are constructing in Jasmín, and soon he will be getting married.”

“Even though our current Centers are old, overcrowded and inadequate places, we have good programs. They’re packed with people, and we’re seeing results. God is doing miracles here!”

“But it has always been a dream of ours to have a better place in an atmosphere conducive to achieving a life-changing relationship with God, self and others. We want to make a City of Restoration, where homeless people will come in and ministers will go out; where people will come in without a family and go out reunited with their family; where the sick will come and go out healed. We’ve always dreamed of a place like this. And now, we have the opportunity to do that. We call it the Promised Land. All this land -- all the ways and steps of our church – have been surrounded by God’s miracles.”

Blessings,
Larry and Carole

Old & New Houses

One of the things that is acheived when teams visit Costa Rica, is new homes are built. Here are two pictures that show the before and after.

Before:




After: